Automobile seat shock absorber



Dec, 2, 1924.

- P H. SPENCER I AUTOMOBILE SEAT SHOCKABSORBEB Filed May 21, 1923 TINVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

PERCIVAL H. SPENCER, OF HARTFORD, CQNNECTICUT.

AUTOMOBILE SEAT SHOCK. ABSORBER.

Application filed May 21, 1923. Serial No. 640,560.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERQIVAL H. SPENCER, citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomobileSeat Shock Absorbers, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to a cushioning or shock absorbing device for anautomobile chair seat. It is particularly ada ted for use in combinationwith a hinged or olding seat such as is now being provided in a greatmany automobiles of the enclosed type where the front seat is divided.

One object of the invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensivedevice to cushion or absorb the vibrations which are transmitted to anindividual automobile seat by the frame or chassis thereof. Heretofore,

automobiles have been constructed with different types of shockabsorbers operating to cushion the contraction and expansion of thechassis springs but the seats themselves have been provided .with onlythe usual springs which are customary .in any type of an upholsteredchair. My device provides a still further cushioning for the occupant ofa seat e nipped with it and it isof such a character t at it greatlyrelieves a large part of the jar and discomfort which isprevalent in allautomobiles, due to an uneven road or to a sudden change in the speed ofthe machine. I

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following detaileddescription and drawings which show a preferred embodiment of myinvention and in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of a folding chair seatwith. my device attached thereto; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of aportion 'of an enclosed automobile showing a folding v seat equippedwith the shock absorber; and

Fig. 3 is a detail side view of a lower portion of the absorbentakenfrom the front.

Referring to thedrawings 1 represents an automobile seat-having afolding back rest 2 'and3 designates the floor or chassis of themachine. At the front edge of the seat 1 there are provided eye bracketswhich fit into front supports for said seat fixedly secured supports 5'having recessed yokes and are secured thereto by meansof pins 6.Thesupports 5 are fixed to the floor or chassis 3 in any suitable manneras isusual in automobile construction. 'There is thus provided, a veryrigid hinged front support for the seat allowing same to be foldedforwardly in a convenient manner.

For the rear support when theseat is not folded up I have devised anovel construction which is extremely advantageous and beneficial to theoccupant. A plunger 7 is secured preferably at the center of rear edgeof the seat 1 by means of screws 8 and fits into asocket 9. Interposedbetween the lower end of plunger 7 and the bottom of the socket 9 thereis a coiled spring 10. The plunger 7 and socket 9 are adapted totelescope upon each other and are provided with a pin 11 and slot 12 tolimit the relative movement therebetween. The lower end of the socket 9is rounded as shown in the drawings to provide an even point of contactwith the floor 3 when the device is in operation.

' It is obvious that the coiled spring 10 will cushion all of the jarsand vibrations which are imparted to the socket 9 thereby relieving in igreat degreethe jars, which would normal y be transmitted to the spineof the occupant of the seat. At the same time the hinged support at thefront edge allows the telescoping of the socket and plunger upon oneanother Without changing the distance from the front edge of the seat tothe floor of the automobile and consequently the leg reach of theoccupant remains the same during the cushioning movement of said seat.

While I have described and shown a preferred embodiment of my deviceitis understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the appendedclaim: v

The combination with an automobile of a seat therefor, having a hingedback rest arranged to be folded on said seat, upright 05 to the floor orchassis of the automobile, hinged connections between said supports andthe front edge of said seat to permit folding of said seat forwardly,said supports and connections acting to secure said seat to saidautomobile, and a cushioning support fixed to the rear ed e of said seatfor being carried therewith 1n the forward folding movement of said seatand arranged to rest freely on said floor, said cushioning supportcomprising a plunger and a. telescoping socket p with an interposedspring housed in said socket, together with means to limit the relativemovement between said plunger and socket. 10

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

PERCIVAL H. SPENCER.

